“What are you grinningabout?”
Dylan shrugged. “You. It’s so amazing that you feel as terrible as you did before, but you’re somehow coping with it so much better. What’s yoursecret?”
“Education.” Angelo stood and stretched so elegantly that Dylan nearly tackled him to the bed again. “I was so scared when I first got ill that I stuck my head in the sand. If I hadn’t, I’d have known then what I’ve learned this week about ME, and I’d probably feel a whole lotbetter.”
“What’s next for you, with your recovery, Imean?”
“Graded exercise. Slow and steady, a little bit each day. I don’t think I’ll dance again, but I can utilise the way my body is already conditioned tomove.”
More stretching that turned Dylan’s brain upside down. Again, he recalled their impromptu yoga session in the spare room last night. “Perhaps you couldteach.”
“What?” Angelo looked at Dylan from between his legs. “Teachwho?”
“Other people with ME. You were so good with me last night?—so patient. And you did itinstinctively.”
“That’s because I like you.” Angelo came upright. “I’ve done mentoring before at ballet companies, and I hated it because ninety-nine per cent of people on this planet annoyme.”
Dylan let it go. Angelo would need an income eventually, but did that matter right now? As he watched Angelo’s naked form disappear into the bathroom and debated following him, he couldn’t quitedecide.
* * *
Later that day,it turned out not to matter at all. Angelo’s mother called while they were walking slow loops of the park and gave Angelo some news that turned his fortunes the right wayup.
“She’s sold the business?” Dylan guessed from the one side of the conversation he’dheard.
Angelo nodded, his eyes bright. “Yeah, and then some. Apparently a couple of blokes turned up this morning and bought the building, the equipment we had left, and even our fucking name. She said they might go to the auctions too and scoop up all the vintage stuff the debt collectorstook.”
“Oh my God. That’s incredible. I thought the house would gofirst.”
“Me too.” Angelo stopped walking and abruptly dropped onto a nearby bench. “And I thought we’d end up giving it away for peanuts too?—just to get rid of it. But these guys have offered the asking price and a shedload more to keep the name above the door. I can’t fucking believeit.”
The financial nerd in Dylan cried out for specifics, to know what this truly meant for Angelo, but concern for Angelo in the here and now won out as Angelo shook his head, dazed, and clearlyoverwhelmed.
Dylan knelt in front of him. “This is good news,right?”
Angelo stared at his blank phone screen. “It’s more than that. My mum’s splitting the profit from the business three ways between her, me, and my sister. It’s a lot of money, Dylan... like, life-changing. I don’t know what to do with it. I feel fucking sick. Is thatweird?”
“You’re probably in shock.” Dylan rubbed Angelo’s knees. “It’s a big change from when we firstmet.”
“Can I cancel theDRO?”
“You’ll have to,” Dylan said. “You won’t be eligible when the money comes through. Will you have enough to clear yourdebts?”
Angelo laughed. “Um. Yeah. Twice over. And I’ll be able to pay rent for a year while I get my shittogether.”
“Rentwhere?”
“I don’t know. Wherever’s closest toyou.”
“Tome?”
Angelo’s humour faded. “You’re doing that freaky questionthing.”
“That freaky question?—?” Dylan stopped and tried again. “I don’t know what youmean.”
“It means I’m trying to tell you that I can afford to live near you for the next twelve months because I’m ridiculously fucking in love with you, and the blank look on your face isterrifying.”
Dylan’s heart thudded to a stunned and wonderful halt. “You loveme?”
